Saturday, October 29, 2016

The leaves have fallen a lot by the wayside and have danced and twirled in the wind..It is wet wet wet outside..perfect day to stay cozy inside..Hope the weatther is far better for Halloween..

In 1974 I was newly married and 20 ....Now I can't believe it..20 sounds so young..We had both our daughters before I was 23..The first one..I was 21..I would give her her bath..and she would smell so wonderful..in a little baby bath thing..(ohmygosh have things come along)..we would put her in her onesie(they were not called that though).. and footed pjs..or her very first little smocked Holt Renfrew nightgown..my favoritest ever..and we would put her on the table and admire her♥Adore her is more like it.I played house.. she had dark hair like my mom's(ok Jacques' too:) )her middle name was Jeannette (my mom's)..and she had a canopy bed..the doctor was sure it was a boy..having dreamt of a canopy bed all my life..and never having one..we bought a Lepine canopy crib..I told Jacques we could take the canopy off ..if..and we had 2 girls:)Anyway all this to say..when the girls were little I stayed home..to play..I did have 2 girlfriends and had them over w/ their littles and I would make oatmeal bars that Gail Bertram showed me how to make..well that was the treat..always for the Littles..oatmeal bars or a cookie mix in a bag..oatmeal choco chip..the boys sometimes come after school and I made some:) Max said they are really good those things nana..:)Oli took a flake of oatmeal and shook his head no..lol..I promise you these are great..and I sent some home and got a message saying:" Thank you for the oatmeal bars"..she remembers♥So easy..2 cups rolled oats1 cup brown sugar ..you can put less..some vanilla1 tsp baking powder..why..I have no idea..pinch of salt1 stick of butter..meltedI melt the butter in the micro..but you could melt it in the oven in an 8x8 pan..add the rest of the ings and make sure everything is coated in butter..you can use margarine..but butter is best,,press into the 8x8..pre-greased ..and bake at 350F for 20 mins..Let cool..but not completely..score..I do 4cuts x4 cuts so 16 squares....and leave in pan till cool..and firmed up..remove..I find them so delicious.You can make in a larger pan..but much thinner they will be..some coat in chocolate..just put chips on when they come out of the oven..let melt..spread..and..you can use less sugar:) I like them caramely instead of sugary.

The last of the swings..Jacques made 4..for the four Littles..at one time they were all up..I think we are leaving this one up for the memories♥

Hope you are having a nice weekend.I wanted to show you one of my favorite colors..Daniel Smith Pyrrol Orange..and I am not even an orange person.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Thought I would squeeze this post in.. in case some of you need cookie ideas..for Halloween..Lucas loved them..a lot.I sent the rest over..and kept 2 for Noah:)I have loved doing little things for Halloween:)

And seeing Little things..for Halloween..

I could go all the way back to Lucas..our first..in his Lion suit..♥But I will spare you:)That recipe..from Baking A Moment..is so easy so good..keeps it's shape..I think I need those rings though;)I made the dough the night before..I encourage you to do so..so much easier the next day to get going:)I had the Wilton orange food coloring and the stamps..both items were bought last year the day after Halloween...

If you have never made this recipe my daughter gave me years ago..do so..it is a favorite here in fall::)WE don't use turkey or chcken sausage..both Jacques and I do not like ground poultry..I use the hot italian sausage from Csotco..so pork.WOW recipe..keeper as you can see:)

Sunday, October 23, 2016

I had more inspiration lately..one from a friend and one from a French blog..Linda mentioned Martha's lentil soup..she had given me a red lentil soup recipe that was terrific..the NYT one..I have 3 others also..this one..this one..and this one ..but I had bought some green lentils from France..so I tried the recipe Linda sent me and it is a delicious soup..she suggested the addition of pancetta..and that's what I used..I did add a couple of dashes of hot sauce that I love..My love affair w/ lentil soup only started in the last few years..it was never something I loved..until I got terrific recipes..:)Thanks Linda for 2 of them:)Now Martha..that's another story..when I found out she was on TV many years ago..I worked.. so Jacques would "tape" the shows for me..lol..

These are just part of my collection..on top..there is a sheet with which episodes..and what was in them:)I was INLOVE with her in the late 80's 90's..thank goodness we still have a VCR..I will watch one day..but with Netflix and PVR..and On Demand..and books and painting and not working..:) it may be a while.She looks fantastic I find.I am skipping over the whole jail thing because I am not very knowlegeable on insider trading...mais pas du tout.The other ispiration found was a no-knead recipe..I know.. I know we all have so many..I won't even link to all the breads I have made..you would be yawning..and annoyed..or skip right over them:)it's a neverending story..:)So it was at La Popotte De Manue that I spotted this one..I used my regular Silpat..next time I will try in my curved molds but they are not non-stick:(I would love hers..$$$... weird... the 7 cavity one is cheaper but does not fit in my oven:(The trick is to not handle the dough a lot..she used the word..precautionarily..I want mine to crack open next time..like hers..could be the flour..etc..one never knows..so here is what I did..500 gr of flour350 gr tepid water+50 gr tepid water7 grams active dry yeast..I buy a big vacuum packed yeast..keep it in the fridge2 tsps of salt1 tsp of sugar..Dissolve the yeast in the 50 gr of lukewarm waterMix the flour..salt and sugar ..then add the lukewarm water and yeast water..mix until you have a sticky dough..sprinkle liberally with flour..cover and let rest until doubled..flip onto a well floured surface..cut into 8 and carefully place on your baking surface..pre-heat oven to 450 F..and let the breads sit while the oven is pre-heating..bake for 15-20 minutes..go look at her pictorial:)And beautiful pics.I love making breads and seeing them..and smelling them:)You may enjoy what our QC looks like this October..Just click here:)

It has been nothing short of magical..QC.. this fall..and even stragglers are hanging on..see the rose?

This weekend was dark and rainy and so windy..

I planted all my garlic and I thought the wind would carry me away..we had no power Sunday morning so I thought just do it..had a winter hat on..

All White German is planted..square bed..and horizontal bed..Xlarge in the hexagonal one..and Music in the herb part.

Fingers crossed for a good crop.

It's been my favorite thing to grow this year.

And nana is stitching..Christmas.

Take every opportunity you have to tell someone you love..that you love them.

I think I tell them all too much:)

They just grow up so fast..

In September Lucas is going to the college his parents went to.

He was accepted after the entrance exam and we are happy for him.He will look dashing in blazer and tie♥

Thursday, October 20, 2016

These cookies are absolutely perfect..soft chewy chunky and packed with flavor..I know I should be baking pumpkin stuff but these cookies were calling this family's name..meaning I wanted to bake and taste.Not disappointing in the least..in fact I would say one of my favorites..I did add a new vanilla sugar imported from France..Bourbon..just a hint but packs a nice nice punch..I always say desserts are not my favorite..I think I know why..a rich chewy cookie..for breakfast..pleases me more that piece of frosted cake after dinner:)You can find the recipe here..as you know I don't invent recipes..I encourage others by trying theirs:)♥I used milk chocolate chips.They are soft and chewy.Thank you ETK.

More painting sessions with some of my collection..I have a little box....it's the Winsor and Newton Sketcher's box..it was a gift to me..maybe 20 years ago..when a group of us sat in a basement for several weeks and learned a few things..undoubtedly my favorite classes.I have since bought another..maybe 10 yrs ago..I never thought or knew about refilling pans:(Now I know..It's a handy little set..comes w/ that tiny silver brush you.I don't know why white is included in sets..it's opaque..does nothing for me at all:(..Payne's Grey does:)It's the set I brought to Paris..as my Cheap Joe's one weighs more..Maybe 6 years ago..I found a large WN set on Ebay from the UK and bought it..it was in the $20 dollar range then if I am not mistaken..and my canadian dollar was worth gold:)I am ashamed to say I have another kit..from WN..that I bought in Fl..w/ a water bottle..the bottle never opened and closed properly so it is all taped together in a traveling cigar box..the Field Plus Travel Set..I hate my bottle:(..Anyway as you can see over the years I've ..but increased my paint supplieshad a fondness for paints and papers...The little pumpkin on a neighbor's porch was painted in this fun book..The Moleskin Japanese Accordeon AlbumI fell in love with it while visiting Rita..I love how hers is like a book that is a story..or of similar scenes..mine is haphazard..It's not watercolor paper but works well:)It holds the paint..looks vibrant..and really so cute.I would definitely get another when I finish this one.Thank you Rita for the inspiration.:)

It is amazing how fast time flies..the collage you see above.. above ..is about 5 years old..yet it feels like yesterday..when we packed my car w/ our cameras..bought pears..snapped things that were past their flowering prime but full prime seed forming..fall does in effect have the richest colors of the wheel..the warmest colors..my mom's favorite colors♥Bon weekend~

I confess I love pumpkins .Remember that movie?One of my all time favorites ever in my life?One True Thing?

It was quite a bit about the seasons..and seeing Renée plant bulbs for her mom? Bawled my eyes out and still do.

I fell in love w/ Renée Z..It's fallish in the trees..and in the amount of light we have..but the light is astonishingly precious and glowing..it's a glorious light like Quinachrodone Gold:)Quinn Burnt orange..Quinn Sienna..Green Gold..Anthraquinoid Red (my new fave).. We started putting some gardens to bed..they just looked so forlorn all crisp..we did get some rain..but I am happy what's done is done.Our oven functions all seasons..I went to the mall for 1 hour during my daughter's lunch break..she treated me to a Starbucks Moccachino..and she bought a lemon blueberry scone..I had my proverbial bite..the next day I was craving them..and went ahead for lemon/sultanas..and then I thought..no lemon..so I used a recipe I know we like..we have maybe 5 keepers..but I had sour cream..so thought of these.I changed it up though..I have a crush on Mary Berry..so instead of reg flour I used self rising..and added that vanilla bourbon sugar..very little..and added raw sugar crystals on top..MMMMM..You pre-heat your oven to 400..In a medium bowl mix your dry ings..with your fingers mix in the butter that you have coarsely grated..add the raisns..then add a mix that you have made with the egg and sour cream..with a fork..it will come together..put the mix on a lightly floured surface..shape into a 7 inch round 3/4 inch thick.. and cut into 8 triangles..place the triangles on your baking sheet that has parchment paper..you can brush the tops w/ cream or milk and add the raw sugar cristals..Bake for ap.15 minutes..I place mine on the lowest shelf..and check..they may need a minute or two more..I also leave them uncovered for the whole first day and night.I don't like moist scones.A scone for me=love..a treat..

The other thing I made because I wanted to..because Jacques sent me the recipe..;) was a beef and mushroom pie.I used this recipe and their crust too for this..even though I have THE recipe for pie crust etc..I now have THE recipe for savory..and you do too now:)Here is the link for the pie..and the link for the pastry is there also..My notes for the pie..I didn't do the flour and water thickener..I used Wondra.I used a bouquet garni..you can also use a processor.the crust was perfect ...the filling too..the only problem w/ this is that he eats it..and this makes 4 meals..for him..so next time I will make smaller pies and freeze some.I bought disposable aluminium tins..I only have the heart shaped pie glass dish that is a good size,all my others are so big.All comfort foods.Perfect perfect for this beautiful amazing landscape at the moment.It's just out of this world.

And then this weekend..♥

Max is the local team♥I only see #3..always.My son-in-law is assistant coach..you could not ask for a gentler giant for the kids..Justin their friend coaches soccer..same thing:)Did anyone say #3?:)

Oh he glows:)He's got his own glow:)And I love that his cleats are orange..I can spot him from afar.This is when I would love a full frame w/ a great sport/zoom lens.